Three business leaders took five entrepreneurs through the ropes of pitching a business plan Wednesday on the Eagles' Nest.

The competition -- similar to the CBC's Dragon's Den -- included Brock Frost, Julia Lucio and Francois Desormeaux as panelists, who together offered up $6,000 in cash prize for the top three entrepreneurs.

The trio said they were looking for "viability" in the winners -- "what they were going to do with the money," said Lucio, who owns marketing firm VersaCore Tech Designs as well as two local papers.

However, they agreed that a special X-factor was part of the final decision for the grand prize of $3,000.

"Do they have that capacity, the charisma," said Frost, who is a real estate representative with Storm Realty and an investor with The Frost Group.

The competition both celebrated entrepreneurship and helped promote local businesses, organizers said.

The group of competitors was varied, with two local artists joining the mix along with two health services providers and one home repair expert.

Photographer and photo editor John Lister pitched his company Fashionography, which is looking for new equipment and an expansion.

Massage therapist Megan Crossthwaite and chiropractors Joel Leger and Kylie Draper of Spine Care Plus pitched their need for new equipment to attract more clients.

Rounding out the competition was Brett Thompson of Cracked Up, who launched his interior foundation repair company just over a year ago and is looking to expand his markets.

"Seeing different people going at it trying to make a living growing their business, it's what I do," said panelist Desormeaux, who is the executive director of the Community Futures Development Corporation.